Program Requirements

Transfer Credit Policy

Students may transfer up to nine hours of post-master's credit from a college or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) provided a grade of "B" or higher was earned in a post-master course meeting the following criteria of the transcript audit:

The course is clearly comparable to one of the Ph.D. program course offerings.
The course is at the 600 or higher numbering system and was not part of the master’s degree requirements.
The course has been completed within the past five years.
The course reflects current knowledge-base and best practice.
The course reflects higher order thinking, study, and assessment requirements of the scholarship of discovery.
The course has been evaluated by IWU faculty and approved to meet program requirements.

Attendance Policy

All doctoral courses are a blend of live and interactive online discussions. Students are expected to attend all required live sessions and substantively engage in all interactive online discussions, tests, quizzes, and prescribed learning activities.

Synchronous Class Sessions - Required synchronous classes are held on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and meet on the second, fourth, and eighth Saturdays of the September, January, and April sessions. Students are expected to be in attendance when class begins and remain the entire session. A student may be allowed one absence per course. An allowed absence is to be used only when absolutely necessary and requires approval from the faculty member teaching the course. Students need to contact the faculty member regarding make-up work, if allowed by the faculty member. The criteria for full participation attendance points will be determined by the faculty member. Due to a holiday or university activities, synchronous sessions may be scheduled on alternative weeks.
Online Attendance - Course attendance also is determined by participating in weekly discussions. Failure to participate in the weekly discussion forum(s) will constitute an absence for that week. Participating in discussion does not guarantee full participation attendance points. The criteria for full, substantive participation points will be determined by the course professor. A student may be allowed one participation absence per course. Students need to contact the faculty member regarding make-up work, if allowed.
Excessive Absences - A student is allowed only one absence per course, whether it is a synchronous Saturday or online participation absence (not one of each). If a student exceeds the allowed absences without instructor approval and does not contact the Division of Leadership & Followership Studies or the Office of Learner Success to officially withdraw before the last class session, the professor is directed to issue the grade of "F." A student accruing excessive absences in the final week of the course will be issued the grade of “F.”
Course Sequence - Students are expected to take courses in the predetermined sequence. Students needing to withdraw while in a course may do so with permission of the Division Chair and by arrangement with the Office of Learner Success prior to the end of the course, but the regular refund and academic withdrawal policies apply. Students who are unable to participate in a course due to unavoidable circumstances may arrange for a temporary Leave of Absence (LOA) with the Office of Enrollment Operations & Student Services subject to LOA requirements. Students may follow a revised schedule of courses in the program with the permission of the Division Chair.

Residency

Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of three residencies during their doctoral program as demonstrated by in-person attendance and successful completion of courses in the July term-session in which the student is enrolled. These Summer Residencies normally are attended during consecutive years corresponding to the coursework phase of the degree program, but attendance at Summer Residency is required for any courses taken during the July term session each year.

Residencies may be for 7 - 8 days, often beginning on a Friday or Saturday and lasting through the following Friday. The duration of a residency may be shorter depending upon the design of a specific residency. Students will be provided the designated date ranges for three years of residencies upon enrollment at the beginning of their program to assist in planning. However, dates may be changed due to extenuating circumstances.
Residencies may occur on the main Indiana Wesleyan University campus, at one of the regional education centers, or in a hotel or other conference venue. Students are expected to be in attendance every day of each residency and are not allowed an absence from required workshops, events, or class sessions that are scheduled during the residency.
Failure to attend a residency or residency component may qualify as an unexcused absence, resulting in failure of the course(s) for the session.
Students are required to utilize housing options (e.g., blocked hotel rooms) reserved by the program for residency due to contractual obligations that often occur with the hotel or venue hosting the residency.
In unusual circumstances, a student may be given permission by the Division Chair to skip a year and attend the residency another year by taking an available course(s) for the July session.
Students are expected to follow the community lifestyle statement of the university while attending the residency.

Withdrawal from a Course

A student that withdraws from a course will need to get permission from the Division Chair to continue in the program and will need to follow the plan of study prescribed by the Division Chair.

Students needing to withdraw officially from a course will be required to contact the Division office or the Office of Learner Success. Tuition will be reimbursed according to the following schedule:

100% of the tuition fee if withdrawing within the first seven days of the course,
90% of the tuition fee if withdrawing between the 8th and by the 14th day of the course,
50% of the tuition fee if withdrawing between the 15th and by the 21st day of the course, and
No refund after the 21st day from the start date of the course.

A student withdrawing from a course less than one week from the end of the course will be assigned the letter grade earned in the course. Students may only withdraw from a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership course twice during their program. Following the second instance of withdrawal in a specific course, the letter grade earned will be applied for the successive attempt in the course.

A student withdrawing from the Summer Residency less than 10 days prior to the start of the summer term, withdrawing after Summer Residency reservation deadline dates imposed by host venues, or failing to utilize the housing options (e.g., blocked hotel rooms) reserved by the program for residency will be assessed all or part of residency fees and subsequent housing fees to cover the costs of room, meals, or other expenses accrued by the program on behalf of the student in planning the residency. Residency fees are non-refundable.

Academic Standing

Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program are regarded as members of the academic community of Indiana Wesleyan University and are held responsible for conducting themselves in conformity with the standards of conduct for adult learners. Continued enrollment in the program is at all times subject to review of the student’s academic record and of the student’s actions with regard to observance of university rules and regulations and professional conduct. Students failing to maintain professional conduct may be dismissed from the program.

Academic Probation - Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program will be placed on probation if their cumulative GPA at any time falls below the required 3.25 GPA for graduation.

Students are given six months (two sessions of courses) to satisfactorily raise their GPA. The GPA is reviewed after the six-month probationary period, and if it has been successfully raised, the probationary status is removed. Academic suspension will result if the student’s GPA is not successfully raised.

Academic Suspension - Academic suspension of six months will result if:

A student fails to clear the academic probationary status within the six-month probationary period.
A student has taken a course twice and failed to achieve a satisfactory grade.

In all cases, the suspension will occur once the grades have been recorded in the Registrar’s Office. Students will be notified of the academic suspension in writing. A student will be eligible to reapply for admission on a provisional basis after six months, but only upon the recommendation of the Dean of the DeVoe School of Business, Technology, & Leadership.

Academic Dismissal - Upon a second academic suspension in the Ph.D. program, a student is dismissed from the program. A student dismissed from the program for any reason is not eligible to reapply to the Ph.D. program.

Re-enrollment

A student who has not attended courses for three years or less and who wishes to re-enroll in the Ph.D. program must first contact the Division Chair to complete a re-enrollment request. The Division Chair may confer with the Admissions Committee to determine eligibility for re-enrollment. If re-enrollment is approved, the student may reenroll in the program after going through the university re-entry protocols. Students who have not attended courses for three years or more are not eligible for re-entry to the program unless the program version has changed such that they would be able to earn 60 new, unique credits when compared to their previous program of study.

Students sitting out of the program for more than 90 days are subject to current tuition rates upon returning. Students re-entering after six months are subject to any changes made in the curriculum in the intervening time as well as current catalog policy. Re-enrollment is limited to those in the coursework phase.

Academic Load

Students may enroll in no more than 6 credit hours per term. Overload requests must be submitted in writing to the Division of Leadership & Followership Studies and reviewed, as needed, through the academic petition process.

Comprehensive Examination

After the completion of all coursework (DOL courses numbered DOL-915 and lower), a comprehensive examination will be administered to each student in the Ph.D. program. This exam will be designed to:

Determine the student’s grasp of leadership understanding across the curriculum;
Assess the student’s ability to adapt and integrate leadership theory and current best practice across the curriculum, including the integration of faith and practice;
Give the student the opportunity to demonstrate higher order thinking with reference to Organizational Leadership theory and practice.

The exam will be constructed to cover the major domains of the program and will be administered by a committee of full-time faculty in the Division of Leadership & Followership Studies or other qualified faculty as determined by the division. The Comprehensive Examination Manual is published annually. Students are required to follow all policies, procedures, and guidelines contained in the most recent guide. Students must successfully pass the Comprehensive Exam to become dissertation students in the program.

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PhD - Organizational Leadership